Tab positioning and detecting apparatus



United States Patent inventor Frank Samuel Martin Wenham, Mass. Appl. No. 831,792 Filed Feb. 17, 1969 Division of Ser. No. 586,713, Oct. 14, 1966, Patent No. 3,465,935 Patented Dec. I5, 1970 Assignee The Gillette Company Gillette Park, Boston, Mass. a corporation of Delaware TAB POSITIONING AND DETECTING APPARATUS 1 Claim, 5 Drawing Figs.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,852,236 4/1932 Fenner et al 200/6l.l4

Primary Examiner-Robert K. Schaefer Assistant Examiner-M, Ginsburg A rr0rney Willis M. Ertman ABSTRACT: Apparatus for positioning and detecting the presence of conductive tabs on a strip comprising a pivotally mounted arm adapted for engaging the rear edge of a tab and moving it to a predetermined detecting position'and a pair of spaced electrodes moveable for contacting a pair of adjacent tabs to signal their presence by the completion of an electrical circuit therethrough.

O 82 84 63 l6 I7 186 o L .I| IL 94 2 PATENTED [15m 5 I978 SHEET 1 BF 2 8; DD ow ET \Mo. N9 vJ PATENTED HEB] 519m SHEET 2 OF 2 cation or. No. seems. filed Oct. t nmtsssstsimeese taiosr.

aceordin'gtotheinventionr. r

materialhaving tabs placed thereon prior to segmenting;

' and tab detector mechanism.

- from'thatpointforwardinthe-apparatus- DETECTING srrmrus application a a time patent appli-. 4. .19 now u. s.rsi.

This invention relates to apparatus and components aegrncnring strip material andinoreparticuisrly to as,

h s -Ie' a d on a oontinuhtl! bonofthiasteelhavingaraaorcdge thereontobesegmented foruac in strip raao'rs-ofthc typedisclosed in U.S. Pat. No.

in segment Alao thcy provide protrusions whichmay be mechanically manipulatedin simple fashionvfor applying tennrechanisrn for detecting proper placement of tube by tab placement apparatus and for adjusting'the. position of the strip immediately prior to the placement-of the nextpair of tabs;

. Otherobjccts, features. and advantages of this invention .eia be by thoaeshillcd mites" from the follow Y 'j ing description thereofto'g'ether the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of mcnting appara' tus y no. =2'is ancnlarged elevation of a portionrof the strip" FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view of-finefadjustmentand tab detector mechanism utilized in the-apparatus; 1 r I FIG. 4 isja view along-the. lines larged fronrthe view of FIG. hand no. 5 is a reduced diagrammatic view-similar to me showing a different operating position of thc'fine adjustment As will'bc secnfrorn Pro. 1 ofthe a filin s-r te segmenting between a supply station 30 and the-segmenting station 120.

' Pullout rollers 49 positioned in the strip path after supply station 30 draw the strip 14 from the coil 1-3 thereof at supply station 30. Pullout rollers 49 draw thestrip.-l 4 from coil 13 at the average speed ofthe strip rhrou'gh'theremaiiid r ofa paratus l-roin the vacuum tension control block 56. the strip 14 pales through a series of inspection stations which are adapted to detect any defects in. the strip 14 and to store the with a high degree-of accuracy.,Tabs provide a readily detectable and adjustable reference to assure accuracy 5 i966, entitled ."Strip inspection System" U.S Pat. No.

333L624, issued Mar. 1 1,1969.

From the inspection stations the strip path extends through tab placement apparatus 58 which is positioned three strip fsegrncnt lengths from the segmenting means at station 120,

later to be described. for operation-in the stopped position of the incrementalrnovcment of strip 14 therethrough. At the tab placement apparatus 58 tabs 16 and l'!, l'-l(i. 2. comprising generally U-shaped rhcmbcrs'with a perforation l8. 19 on one side thereof are fed from feed bowls 60and. placed'on strip 14 side-'by-side. The tabs are fastened at placement apparatus 58 to the strip 14 by punches which move through apertures 18 and deform the strip material and portion of tabs 16.17 thercbchind. Alao at apparatus 58 is a'nothcr vacuum tension control block 57. similar to bloclt 56, to assist in tensioning the strip 14 and to prevent wavering of the strip 14 as tabs 16. I'I are placed thereon. t

in the embodiment disclosed in no. '2. the apertures is, 19 t are placed as far as possible from the abutting ends of the tabs 16,17 to provide ertra strengththowever depending on the materials used, it may be possible to position the apertures in the center of the tabs so that there will be no need to distin- 's r guish bctwcen-ri'ghtand left-hand tabs. The tabs 16,17 are of through finc-adjustmentand tab dctect'orapparatus 62 which- -a'pp aratus 10 includes a plurality of components linearly arranged (the bends in the strip id path shown in FIG. [being i used only to diagrammatically indicate continuity thereof) electrically conductive material for testing at the ncxtstation in the apparatus 10.

"From the tab placement apparatus thestrip path moves adjusts the position of=the strip 14 prior'to the placement of the next set of tabs l6, 17 by placement apparatus 58 to assure accuracyv of placement thereof, and which detects the presence or absence of tabs and in the absence of one or mor tabs signals an apparatus'stop circuit.

From the fine adjustment-and tab detector mechanism 62 the strip 14 moves to bidirectional control apparatus 98, having roil'pairs' 100, 102 and 104, 106, which prevents any slack frommovin'g backwardly through the strip 14 thereby to main- As shown in' I-IG. 2 the strip 14. ofraaorsteel. has a rriaor r edpe' t5 whichis'fcd inan upright position through-apparatus Ntoavordf damagethc'r'eto' I A tension control and brake assembly 33 on arm 34 between pullout rollers 49 and supply station 30 for cxerting a tensional force on strip at the coil-l3thcrcofatstation "3 0 in the direction of rotationthcrcof and for braking the coil in response to a tension dccrcasebelow a predetermined level. 55,

After pullout rollers 49 the strip id path forms a slack loop containing a greateraniount of strip material therein than a segment length thereof, which loop is-maintained by a flow of air Photoelectric cell detectors 52 are provided at use m ruieioo to' senseany increase-in the loop tain tension therebehind and which also functions to exert a retardingtcnsioning'influcncc ion the strip .14 as it passes therefrom to the segmenting station [20 next in the line of the Finally. the apparatus 10 is provided with a segmenting sta- I tion 120 at which means are provided for p ling the strip indefective strip segment. Y

v The fine adjustment and tab detector apparatus 62. shown cremcntally through the apparatus, for segmenting the strip at the position tabs 16, 17, for depositing the strip in trays 174 on a conveyor 176 thcrebelow, and for rejecting a 5 in FlGS..3-S, includes a channel-64is through which strip 14 beyond thcrcbetween to'signal pullout rollers 49 to slow down'or stop. Microswitch 53 detects and signals any In. of the loop; from rollers 49 movement of strip through apparatus to is incremental. the slack loop. however. perrnitting the strip Id to be from 13 at a relatively From the loop the strip l4 between guide-rollers j and thence to a vacuum tension control block 56 which exerts a retarding force on the strip 14 as itpasses therefrom.

The vacuum tension control block stijsirnply comprises a black adjacent the side of the strip path having perforations at that side through which avacuum is applied to the side of the strip ids'l'heifrictional cngagemcnt'of-thcstrip l4 and the:

block 86 thereby engendered creates a tension in the strip 14 passes. One wall of the channel '64 is defined by a conductive wall63 spaced from strip 14 by adistancc equal to the thickness of the legs of tabs 1s, 11 thcrcadjaccnt. Opposite wall 63 is a movable electrode carrier block 66 spaced two strip segment lengths from the segmenting means at station Fine adjustment ofthe strip 14 relative 120. Block 66 carries a pair of electrodes 68, 70. Block 66 is movable toward and away from well 63 to complete an electric circuit between electrodes 68, 70. conductive tabs l6, l7

and well 6310 determine the presence or absence of the tabs. The absence of the tab. signalled by an incomplc'tcd current, is

used to signal the apparatus stop circuit.

to tab placement apparatus' 58 isaccomplished by tab adjustment arm 72 positioned to therear'of electrode 68-relative to the direction of l strip'movcmcnt thencby Arm 72 is pivotally mounted at its 7 middle portion on a pivot pin 75.0ne end 73 of the arm,

adapted for engaging the rear edge of the trailing tab 16 of a "pair, is positioned adjacent electrode carrier'block 66 and the other end 71" thereof is interconnected by spring 78 with a stationary member 80, affixed to apparatus frame 11, to bias end 73 toward the strip 14.,Pivot pin 75 connects am 72 to the end of one leg 79 of an L-shaped member 74. Member 74 is pivotally mounted at pin 76 to frame 11. The leg 79 of member 74 extending between pivots 75, 76 is generally at right anglesto arm 72 thereby carrying arm 72 in a direction generally parallel to the path of strip 1 4 on pivotal movement of the leg 79 about pivot 76. The other leg 77 of member 74, extending rearwardly from pivot 76, is biased by spring 94, extending therefrom to actuating arm 90, in a direction of counterclockwise rotation, for normally maintaining adjustment arm 72 in a position as shown in FIG. 5 remote from the tab positions at electrodes 68, 70. Spring loaded push rod 92 bears against the other leg 77 of member 74 and on movement of actuating arm 90, best shown in FIG. 4, actuates member 74 and arm 72 for movement of arm 72 to a position adjacent elec trode 68. A stationary guide pin 82 engages an inclined surface 84 of arm 72 between pivot 75 and'rear end 71 thereof to control the movement of the forward end-73 thereof to and away from the path of strip 14, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. Threaded members 8.6, 88 positioned to engage member 74, for limiting movement thereof in opposite directions, may be adjusted to control the stroke of arm 72 so that the forward end 73 thereof will stop precisely at a position one strip segment length from the rear edge of a tab 16 being placed by placement apparatus 58 therebehind.

T In operation as a tab moves into channel 64 and stops during the incremental movement of strip 14, arm 90 is actuated to rotate member "74 clockwise thereby to move arm 72 to a tab 16 engaging position, FIGS. 3 and 4. The tab 16 is thereby engaged at its rear edge by lead portion 73 of adjustment arm 72 and is moved to an accurate position relative to tab placement apparatus 58, one segment length therefrom, prior to the placement of a next set of tabs 16, 17. Immediately thereafter the electrode carrier block 66 is advanced to engage the tabs and a current is passed through electrodes 68, 70 to detect their presence or absence and to signal an apparatus stop circuit if one or both of the tabs is missing. The block 66 is in no event; however, advanced further than the maximum distance which would be required to complete a circuit through the electrodes 68, 70, tabs l6, l7 and wall 63. The electrode carrier 66 is then retracted and the actuating arm 90 is released causing retraction of adjustment arm 72 before the strip 14 is again moved. g

The timing and sequence of operations is controlled by a number ofcams (not shown).

' lclaim:

' 1. Apparatus for positioning and detecting the presence and absence of tabs of. conductive material on a strip incrementally moved in a path therepast, comprising:

adjustment means for adjusting the position of said strip to place said tabs in a predetermined position;

a wall of conductive material located adjacent the path of said strip and adjacent said predetermined position at which said tabs on said strip stop during incremental movement of said strip;

an electrode carrier, means supporting said electrode carrier for movement transversely of said strip path between an electrode-tab contacting position; at said predetermined position and a position remote therefrom; and

electrodes in said carrier contacting said tabs located on the other side of said strip from said wall while said carrier is in said electrode-tab contacting position, one opposite said predetermined position of each of said tabs adjacent said wall, whereby the completion of acircuit through said tabs signals the presence of said tabs on said strip.

2. The apparatus claimed in claiml in which said adjustment means comprises:

an adjustment armpivotally mounted on movable means;

said arm extending generally parallel to said strip therebeside and positioned behind said electrode carrier; said movable means carrying said arm for movement toward carrier thereby forcing said lead end out of engagement with said strip; and stop means mounted adjacent said movable means for engagement therewith limiting the stroke thereof and of said arm. 2 3. Apparatus for positioning and detecting the presence and absence of pairs of tabs of conductive material on a strip of razor blade steel that is moved incrementally along a path comprising:

adjustment means for adjusting the position of said strip to place each said pairof tabs in a predetermined position in said path; a surface disposed parallel to the path of said strip adjacent said predetermined position of said tabs; an electrode carrier having two spaced electrodes for contacting a pair of tabs on said strip at said predetermined position; and means supporting said electrode carriertfor movement transversely of said strip path between-a position remote from said surface in which said electrodes are out of con- I tact with said tabs and an electrode-tab contacting position adjacent said surface in which said electrodes are in contact with said-tabs, whereby contact of each electrode with a corresponding tab of said pair at said predetermined position completes a circuit through said tabs and signals the presence of both of the tabs of a pair on said strip. 

